Stone siblings snag best album/single at Oz’s Arias

Youth ruled at awards that normally favor rock vets

SYDNEY – Young guns stole the show at the Australian Recording Industry Assn. (Aria) awards, well-known for favoring rock’s vets.

Brother and sister duo Angus and Julia Stone dominated the event at the Sydney Opera House kudocast on Sunday, winning best album for “Down the Way,” the highest-selling album of the year, and best single for “Big Jet Plane.”

Male and female kudos went to up-and-comers Dan Sultan and Megan Washington respectively. Washington also won the breakthrough artist kudo for her first album, “I Believe You Liar,” out this year.

Best group went to The Temper Trap whose debut album, “Conditions,” was released last year.

The Arias have long been criticized for honoring rock royalty but this year they well and truly shook off the “rock dinosaur” tag. Only the public voted section — introduced for the first time this year — played it safe, giving the most popular Australian artist and album award to vet rockers Powderfinger, who recently retired.